Caribbean children's fiction - Anansi and the Magic Pot

Anansi jester pot by Shannon

Once upon a time there was a great famine in the land. People could hardly find anything to eat.

Anansi and his family were starving. One day Anansi was walking in the forest and his foot kicked over a pot which was just lying on the ground.

“What a pretty little pot!”Anansi exclaimed.

“Don’t call me pretty pot,” the pot replied.

“So what a must call you?”asked Anansi.

“Call me ‘Do mek mi see!’ ”

Anansi feel kinda foolish, but since him never had nothing better to do him call out, “Do mek mi see!”

Immediately the pot begin to cook up a delicious dinner of chicken and rice and peas. The smell nearly kill Anansi who was very hungry. Him eat an eat till him belly nearly burst. But as he was about to wash out the pot in the nearby river, the pot shouted, “No! No! You mus never wash me. Leave me same way you find me.”

So Anansi turn down the pot and hide it under some leaves and went home with a big bellyful. When he reached home his wife and children eagerly asked him if he had brought any food. He gave them two little wingy bananas he had found in the bushes and didn’t tell them his secret.

Next day Anansi returned to where he had found the pot. To his great delight, it was still there so he quickly said, “Do mek mi see!” And the pot boiled up another delicious dinner - yam and salt fish and mackerel and green bananas. Anansi had a feast. Everyday Anansi eat him belly full but him never share the secret with him family.

However, Anansi wife soon begin to notice that her husband seem to be getting quite round, and him was looking very well-fed in the midst of the famine. She couldn’t understand this because nowadays he never bothered to take any portion of the meagre food they could find for the family. He always generously declined to eat anything at home. So one day she decided to follow him when he left the home.

She follow Anansi and see when him tek out the pot and she hear him say ,”Do mek mi see,” And her eyes nearly pop out of her head when she see the big pot of food the pot boil up.. Anansi sit down and eat it all off, licked his lips and turned down the pot and covered it over with leaves.

As soon as he left, Mrs Anansi wasted no time. She ran home and fetched her starving children, then she turned over the pot and said, ‘Do, mek me see', just as she had heard Anansi say it.. The children were overjoyed as the food bubbled up in the pot - ackee and saltfish, dumpling and yam and coco, fry chicken! Food them never see for a very long time. Them eat an eat until there was nothing left.

Now, Mrs Anansi is a very tidy lady, so when the food finish, she tek the pot down to the riverside and even though the pot tell her not to wash it, she still give it a good wash, and then she put it back where Anansi leave it

Next day, Anansi arrive, turn over the magic pot and say,”Do mek mi see!” Nothing happen. “Do mek mi see!” Anansi shouted over and over, but the pot remained quiet. Then he examined it and discovered that it was quite clean. He quickly realize that somebody had found out his secret but had washed out the pot and washed away his luck. He was very vexed. He ranted and raved through the woods and as he walked along kicking everything out of his path he stumbled on a whip.

“What a pretty little whip!” he exclaimed.

“Don’t call me pretty whip,” the whip said.

“So what a mus call you,”Anansi asked

“Call me ‘Do mek me see,’” the whip replied.

So Anansi thinking he would get more good fortune cried out, “Do mek me see”.

Immediately the whip set upon him and give him a good beating.

Anansi plenty vex now, but him see a way to get him revenge ‘gainst the person who wash out him magic pot.

All along him had a suspicion that it was him wife. So him go home and announce how him find a present in the forest but him have to hide it cause somebody might want to take it away.

Mrs Anansi she just as greedy as Anansi so she hide and follow him and see where him hide the whip, but Anansi never do anything him just look pon the whip and go away.

Mrs Anansi she come out of hiding and tek up the whip.

“What a pretty little whip!” she said

“Don’t call me pretty whip," said the whip.

“So what a mus call you?” Mrs Anansi ask.

“Call me ‘Do mek me see’.”

Hear Mrs Anansi, “Do mek me see,”

The whip turn pon her and give her one piece a beating. And Anansi who was nearby laugh and laugh till him side nearly split.

Jack Mandora me no choose none!

(This disclaimer ends all Jamaican folk stories. The story teller wants none of the bad luck to follow him.)